REPORTER GENES, GENE TRAPS, ENHANCER TRAPS

Reporter genes:

• These genes aid in the determination of the function of the gene of interest by attaching its coding
region to the gene’s promoter region allowing the scientist to follow in on the gene's activity (i.e
synthesis of functional proteins), when the gene is turned on, it not only synthesizes proteins it
synthesizes the reporter gene as well, thus a scientist can detect when and where the gene is active in
the genome. Since reporter genes help explain the role of a particular gene by identifying when and
where the proteins are produced, they are given the name reporter gene.
• The promoter region of the gene can be attached to the coding region of the reporter gene so that
instead of protein production which is usually controlled by the promoter, now, the promoter region
controls the production of the reporter proteins.

Steps involved in the attachment of reporter genes: REPORTER GENE

Possible Promoter
G F P
1.Attach the reporter gene DNA to a promoter region, and insert this into Region
a vector
2. Insert vector into cell.
3. Select for transformant by screening for the selectable marker gene.
Multiple Cloning Site
Advantages:
• Reporter genes allows the study of genes at various stages of Plasmid Vector
development
• Reporter genes allows a way to visualize how any gene is regulated
Disadvantages:
Transformed
• When reporter gene is inserted within the exon, it can interrupt the activity of
the gene, and if the gene is part of a family, the other genes part of the family
will take over the responsibility of the inactive gene, therefore, changes
cannot be depicted in the genome.
Cell
Selectable marker genes:

Scientists must be able to select cells that have been transformed.

Selecting cells is done by transforming the cells with the reporter gene plus an additional gene called a
selectable marker gene. Selectable marker genes are genes that encode easily detectable traits
making marked cells different from non-marked cells. The two most commonly used selectable marker
genes encode the traits of herbicide and antibiotic resistance (ampicillin resistance - ampR).

Gene trap:

• A technique used that randomly disrupts genes throughout the genome by inserting a DNA element,
which contains a reporter gene and a selectable marker.
• These DNA elements are sometimes inserted into the endogenous gene so that the reporter will be
expressed in a similar pattern as the endogenous gene. The disruption mutates the endogenous gene.
• Gene traps have splice acceptor sequences instead of having a promoter so that reporter gene‘s
activity can occur only when that insertion is within a transcriptional unit and in the correct orientation.
• The gene’s activity is monitored by the reporter gene when the reporter gene is inserted into an intron
and or exon. If the reporter gene is inserted in between exons, the splice donating site of the exon and
the splice accepting site of the reporter gene are spliced together and by this fusion the reporter gene is
able to be transcribed because it is treated like an exon.
• If the reporter gene gets inserted into the correct frame of the exon, the reporter will function normally
i.e it will produce a functioning tag. If however, the reporter gene gets inserted into the exon but not in
the correct orientation or frame, the exon may produce proteins but the reporter tag will not be
produced (DNA sequence will be read in a different frame - frame-shift mutation).
Figure 2: Structure of Gene trap with reporter inserted into an intron

Splice Donor Splice Acceptor

(reference:http://www.cepceb.ucr.edu/resources/pdf/springer/plantcell.pdf)

Advantages:
• Any cell can be used for the technique of gene trap, this technique is not cell- specific
• Simultaneous identification and mutations of genes can be seen using the gene trap method.

Disadvantages:
• Due to random insertion, the DNA element or reporter gene can disrupt the gene activity (i.e produce
inactive proteins
• Insertion could be lethal to the cell/organism

Enhancer trap:

• Enhancer traps allow the investigation of how and when enhancer DNA sequences can affect gene
regulation, and also aid in the determination of their possible location.
• A technique that uses reporter genes fused to a minimal promoter, typically containing the TATA box
and transcription start site. Minimal promoter is a promoter on the reporter gene that can only be
activated by nearby enhancer sequences.
• This method uses reporter genes that can be inserted randomly within the genome. When a reporter
gene is placed near the enhancer, the reporter gene product is detected within the cells.

Steps involved in enhancer trap technique:

1. Insertion of reporter gene (the reporter gene must

have its own minimal promoter region).
DNA Enhancer
2. Check for expression of reporter (expression
indicates presence of a nearby enhancer).
Gene 1
Advantages: Gene 2 Gene 3 Gene 4
• Due to the fact that a reporter gene is inserted into the
DNA, it experiences the effect of the enhancer, and the
effect the reporter gene experiences can be monitored and the
role of the enhancer in that particular region can be determined. GFP

Disadvantages: Minimal Promoter Region

• Since insertion of reporter gene is random, it could
disrupt endogenous genes which may affect
phenotype and gene expression. DNA Enhancer

Gene 1

Gene 2 GFP Gene 3 Gene 4

Minimal Promoter
Region